


Not Your Lois Lane

by MiraMira



Category: DC Animated Universe, Justice League & Justice League Unlimited (Cartoons)
Genre: Confessions, Getting Together, M/M, Magic Made Them Do It, Not Canon Compliant, Post-Battle, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-08
Updated: 2016-02-08
Packaged: 2018-05-18 23:57:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5948143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MiraMira/pseuds/MiraMira
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bruce gets annoyed when he thinks Clark's treating him like a damsel in distress.  He doesn't yet realize he's so much more.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Not Your Lois Lane

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Martianico](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Martianico/gifts).



> Happy Valentine's Day, Martianico! More fluff than angst here, but I still hope you enjoy!
> 
> Note: contains references to past Clark/Lois

“What the hell were you thinking, getting in front of Tala's spell like that?” Bruce snaps, as he escorts Clark into the latter's Watchtower quarters following what can only be described as a debacle of a battle. “You know your invulnerability has about a coin flip's chance of working as advertised when you're up against magic.”

“Still better than yours,” says Clark.

There's no sarcasm or malice in the statement, but it's been a long, tiring day, and Bruce is in no mood to be reminded of his shortcomings. Especially not after suffering through those few heart-stopping seconds watching the Man of Steel collapse to the ground. He drops Clark's arm and turns to glower at him. “How many times do I have to tell you, I don't need special protection? I am _not_ Lois Lane.”

“No.” Clark studies him with an expression Bruce thinks he should be able to place, except it seems out of context here for some reason. “Your eyes are nicer.”

Silence may be Batman's most valuable ally, but it is rare that Bruce finds himself stunned speechless to this extent. “What?”

“Your eyes are nicer,” Clark repeats. “Well, not _nice_ , really. More like piercing. But looking at them is nice.” His wandering gaze (which Bruce is finding much easier to interpret now) suggests they're not the only feature he finds aesthetically pleasing.

Somewhat against his better judgment, Bruce switches off the room's security monitoring before Clark can provide either a skilled hacker with more prime blackmail material or Wally with a source of endless entertainment. “Perhaps we should have Doctor Fate run some tests on you after all.”

“I can tell what you're thinking,” says Clark, as he leans against the wall with what Bruce can only describe as intent. “But honestly? It feels like all she did was strip away my inhibitions.” His eyes light up with the eagerness of...well, a little boy seeing Superman for the first time. “Is this what being drunk is like?”

Bruce refuses to be sidetracked. “Again, I feel the need to remind you of the many differences between myself and Lois.”

“That's been over for months now.” Clark tilts his head as though Bruce is the one being confusing. “We decided we were better off as friends. Or friendly rivals, anyway. I thought she'd have told you.”

Does he really need to spell it out? Apparently he does. “The sudden interest in men doesn't strike you as unusual?”

“Oh, that,” says Clark, with less concern or surprise than Bruce has seen him show over stains on his cape. “That's not new.”

At this moment, the cowl is the only thing holding Bruce's eyebrows in place. “Really.”

Clark sighs and musses the back of his hair with a sheepish gesture. Bruce tries very, very hard to ignore how much better it looks when disheveled. “I'm from Kansas. _Rural_ Kansas. Couldn't afford to be too different when I was trying to stay out of fights growing up. Then Lois came along, and I decided it was just a phase. And now...” He shrugs. “It's easier not to let myself think about it when there's no time to date. Still not a long list of people I'd risk a crushed headboard for, either.”

Half of Bruce finds this revelation flattering. The other half is alarmed by what else Clark might crush if he gets too excited. “Is that based on experience, or conjecture?”

Once again, Clark's answer indicates a different but arguably more intriguing interpretation of the question. “I'm not _that_ much of a Boy Scout. Sorry to disappoint.”

“I'm no innocent myself,” says Bruce. Then the part of his brain that remembers he shouldn't be encouraging this kicks back in, and he hastens to add, “Not that it matters.”

“No,” says Clark. His expression goes fond again. “But sometimes, I think I can almost see what you were like back then. And I'll jump in front of as many spells as it takes to persuade you that you're worth protecting, too.”

Had he thought he was lost for words before? “That's–uh, that's...”

“Are you _sure_ you want to keep talking?” Clark interrupts this eloquent response, easing himself off the wall and drawing closer to Bruce. “I mean, if your heart's beating faster because I'm making you uncomfortable, I'll leave. But if not...well, I don't know about you, but _my_ suit's getting awful warm.”

Bruce's tactical instincts size up the situation with their usual lightning speed when he finds himself backed into a corner. On the one hand, he only has Clark's highly questionable assessment that Tala's spell hasn't tampered with his preferences or free will. If he wakes up in the morning with only a hazy recollection of why he has company, or a radically different take on the night's events, his self-control may not hold – while if he remembers nothing, Bruce will have to bear the guilt without any means of offering penance. Either way, the League will be affected.

And on the other hand, if this is a sincere expression of Clark's true feelings...for all his godlike powers, Superman is still a small-town boy at heart. Bruce has a hunch “no strings attached” won't really work for him, whereas Bruce isn't sure he knows how to do anything else. Not without bringing disaster down on their heads, and by extension, on the rest of the world.

As relationships go, he's made worse calls.

“All right, Smallville,” he growls, before breaking into a sharp-edged grin. “Let's see what it takes to make _you_ swoon.”


End file.
